Kimberly Smathers works on issues related to dually eligible populations and social determinants of health (SDOH). She has proven expertise in business strategy and development, data analytics and visualization, adult learning approaches, and human-centered design.
Prior to joining ATI, Smathers was a Vice President at OptumServe Consulting (The Lewin Group) where she engaged with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to support evaluation, technical assistance, program design, and implementation activities for several CMMI models. She also served as director of the CMS-funded Resources for Integrated Care technical assistance center, disseminating promising practices for health plans serving the dually eligible population through live events, podcasts, videos, and articles. She has also assessed the effect of Medicaid crossover payment policies on QMB access to care, examined the impact of Medicaid Section 1115 SMI waivers, and partnered with LeadingAge to perform a cost-benefit analysis of onsite services at HUD properties for lower-income adults.
Smathers brings practical insights into serving complex populations from her prior work as Vice President of Business Development at a federally qualified health center that provided various care services, regardless of patient ability to pay. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, she designed business intelligence tools and community outreach strategies to support equitable access to and uptake of COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
Smathers has an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Northwestern University. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Attachment & Trauma Network, a nonprofit promoting healing of children impacted by trauma.